Improvement in running-gears for wagons



ATENT FFICE.

JACOB SKEEN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA,

IMPROVEMENT IN RUNNING-GEARS FOR WAGONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,139, dated December22, 1874; application filed February 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB SKEEN, of Allegheny, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Wagons; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention in this wagon consists in makin g an extensiblespring-wagon coupled above the springs, and adapted to have its forewheels wheels pass, in turning the wagon, entirely under the bodythereof; also, in combinin gin such a wagon a fifth-wheel capable ofentire revolution and a couplin g pole above'the springs; also, incombination with the wagon-body, peculiar rim-caps, adapted to besecuredupon the inside of said body; also, in combination with the wagon-bodyand the coupling-pole, atail-board adapted to rest upon thecoupling-pole; also, the combination of the principal operative parts,all constructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter described.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to construct my wagon, Iproceed to describe the same in connection with the drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my wagon; Fig. 2, an end elevation ofthe same; Fig. 3, a top-plan view of my fifth-wheel; Fig. 4, a verticalcentral section of the same; Fig. 5, a bottom-plan view of the same;Fig. 6, a plan of the under side of the wagon, the body being removed;Fig. 7, a perspective elevation of the tail-board; Figs. 8 and 9, viewsof the rim-caps, and Fig. 10 views of the tongue latch; Fig. 11, a viewof one of the axle trussrods and clip; Fig. 12, a vertical centralsection of a modification of one of the hubs; Fig. 13, a similar sectionof another hub; Fig. 14., an elevation of the rear axle; Figs. 15, 16,17 and 18, separate views of difi'erent forms of stakes; Figs. 19 and20, views of two varieties of stake-keys; Figs. 21 and 22, views ofwheel-rim caps or guards; Figs. 23 and 24, views showing the manner ofsecuring stakes in the bolsters; Fig. 25, a bottom-plan view of thewagon; Fig. 26, a perspective of the rear end of the body; Fig. 27, twoviews of the tongue-latch spring; and Fig. 28, separate axle are otherflattened and widened portions for the reception of the side springs.The axle B, whichis, uponits vertical section, of the general form of across, has on each side wings or flanges, arranged in arches bendingdownward and curving upward, the central one of which is flattened uponits upper surface to receive a spring. The axles may have either ofseveral forms of spindles, all cast with the axle and finished up withdies or formers after being cast, so as in all instances to preserve thestrength and fiber of the casting.

Upon these axles and spindles thus described are used wheels of anyproper construction, the hubs only being shaped so as to correspond andfit to my spindles. Upon the central portions of the axles described aspring, E, preferably of block india -rubber, is held by suitable rivetsor other suitable fastenings, passing up through the head of the axle Aor the flanges of the axle 13. Upon the axle A are secured the ellipticsprings F, which rest between the buttresses described, and are held inplace by a plate.

In cases where the axles have no buttresses I use a plate with its sidesraised above the level of its top, so as to embrace the upper portion ofthe spring andholdit more securely, as well as add to its strength.

Upon these elliptic springs, thus arranged and secured, I place thelower part, G, of my fifth-wheel, which is an improvement upon thatdescribed in Patents No.128,429, granted to me June 25, 1872, and No.115,245,

granted May 23, 1871. The lower portion of this fifth-wheel has lateralarms g, of the shape shown in Fig. 3, upon the under side of theextremities of which are east side buttresses, intended to embrace thetop of .the elliptic spring, which is secured between them. To thefronts of the arms 9 are pivoted draftrods, which may be also pivoted tothe front ends of the springs and terminate in loops, or otherdraft-rods intended to be connected with shafts for a single horse.There are also two ears upon the front and one upon the rear sides ofthis portion Gr of the fifth-wheel, by means of which the hounds H areproperly secured to the under side of said fifth-wheel. The upperportion of the fifth-wheel G has also buttresses, which embrace and givesupport to the front bolster I, and immediately outside of them cars,which project over the circular portion of the lower wheel, giving placefor bolts or other fastenii'ig for the bot ster to the fifth-wheelwithout interfering with its freedom of rotation or displacement inchanging gearings. There are also other ears projecting in the same way,and for a similar purpose, with those just described, to which the frontend of the coupling-pole is securely fastened. The divided front of thehounds H is covered with an arch-plate curved upward centrally, andimmediately below it, upon the under side of thehounds, is a secondplate, so that the bolts or rivets passing down. through the ends of thefirst plate, and through the hounds, also pass through. the ends of thesecond plate, and secure them all together. Beneath this second plate,between it and a clip, which is secured to the hounds, and bendin gdownwardly and in front, the draft'bar J is pivoted, having a littlefreedom of motion, restrained by reason of the passage of its endsthrough the loops before named. Upon these ends, in front and behind,are placed leafsprings, which serve to give the draft-bar a normalcentral position in the loops, and preserve its line of parallelism withthe front axle. The tongue K slips in and out between the fronts of thehounds, and has a spring latch, by means of which it may be instantlyand conveniently removed, or placed and held in position. Upon the underside of the hounds is secured an india-rubber spring, which coincides inposition with that on the axle before described. Upon the axle B arefastened halfsprings L,'in the same manner and by the same contrivancesas the springs are secured upon the axle A. Upon these springs L issecured the rectangular frame M, the side bars m of which are recessedand secured to the back bolster N, and upon its front and rear bars onare secured the coupling-hounds O, which are also fastened a properdistance asunder by covering-plates 0 and 0 upon their upper and lowersides, at the respective ends. Suitable brace-rods 0 extend from theupper part of the frame on each side to the sides of the front ends ofthe coupling-hounds, and another brace-rod, 0 extends from the underside of the frame, where it is secured at the front end of the springs,over the couplingpole, at which point it is widened into a plate,

0 has a hole to receive a vcou1 )ling-bolt, X, and dependent wingsorfianges 0 to embrace the sides of the coupliiigiiole. An india-rubberspring, I is secured upon the under side of these hounds to coincide inposition with a similar spring, P, upon the center of the top of theaxle B. Between these hounds the coupling-pole Q has freedom of movementback and forth, being recessed into both the front and rear bolsters,and traversing over and resting upon the front and rear bars of theframe M, and held in place, if need be, by bolts passing down throughthe plates (2 and 0 or either of them, or by a bolt through the plate 0upon the brace-rods 0 Upon the ends of the bolsters are used metallicstakes R, R R and R preferably of cast metal, which are improvementsupon those shown in Letters Patent No. 128,667, granted to me July 2,1872. The bolsters are properly plated upon the tops where the stakessit, and on the sides where the keys S and S are used.

Upon this wagon, thus constructed, and between the stakes, is placed thebody T, of such length as may be desired. I prefer to have with suchwagon two or more bodies of different lengths for a variety ofpurposes--as, for instance, if the wagon be desired for use in movingfurniture or other bulky and light articles, I have a body as long ascan be used when the wagon is extended to its greatest length. on theother hand, if I wish to draw heavy loads, as coal, or iron, or stone, Iuse a stout and short body, and shorten up the wagon accordingly. Thiswagon-body has its bottom t made a little wider than the other parts, soas to receive proper notches t into which the stakes may fit. It has apivoted tail-board to operate with spring-latches t and upon the outsideof the tail-board a cast brace, U, which, when the tail-board is letdown, will rest upon the coupling-pole, so as to keep the tail-board inline with the bottom of the body, and give it so much greater length.The wagon-body is cut away at the sides in the wake of the fore wheelswhen they turn under it, and to give room for such wheels when the wagonis heavily loaded, or

inclines to one side in turning, and their cutaway portions are coveredand protected by the wheel-rim caps V upon the inside of the wagon, thesame being cast shells of the form shown in Figs. 21 and 22, and so madeas to fit closely to the sides and bottom of the body, with aninclination toward the rear, and having flanges v o for convenientfastening. An ordinary cross-brace, W, secured to the under side of thebody, and properly braced upon its protruding ends, gives support to thebody, and serves as a convenient point where the main coupling-bolt Xpasses down through the bottom of the body, and through thecouplingpole.

I have thus described my wagon, but only in general terms, so far asrelates to the fifthwheel and its attachments and connections; to theaxles, their spindles, and connections; to the bolsters and their stakesand keys, for reason that I intend to file separate applications forLetters Patent on these parts.

The principal metallic parts of the wagon thus described are intended tobe cast metals either of malleable iron, steel, or what is now known asconverted steel.

The manner of use of my wagon and its advantages need no explanation, asthey are apparent upon inspection.

I am aware of the rim-cap shown in patent to J. G. Lefler of September8, 1857, and design my rim-cap as an improvement on the same, being madeof a different form, and adapted to be applied to the inside of thewagon-body.

What 1 claim as new in my wagon is- 1. A spring-wagon capable ofextension, and having its front and rear axles coupled above thesprings, the parts combined to operate substantially as described andshown.

2. In combination, in a spring-wagon capable of extension, a fifth-wheelcapable of entire rotation, and a coupling-pole above the springs, sothat the fore wheels of the wagon can be turned entirely under thecoupling-pole,

all combined substantially as described and shown. a

3. In combination with a body to a spring- Wagon, the rim caps or guardsV, of cast metal, having sides nearly parallel, and a top curveddownwardly to the rear, and having flanges v 40, adapted to secure thesame to the inner sides and bottom of the body, substantially asdescribedand shown.

4. The wagon-body T, having a tail-board with a brace,U, and the coupling-pole Q, all combined substantiallyas described and shown.

5. The bolster N, the frame M m in, the coupling-hounds with plates 0 0the bracerods 0 0 and the coupling-pole Q, all constructed and combinedsubstantially as described and shown.

6. In anextension spring-wagon, side and central springs upon each axle,the fifth-Wheel G G, the frame M, and the coupling-pole Q, all combinedsubstantially as described and shown.

This specification signed and witnessed this 3d day of February, 187 4.

JACOB SKEEN.

Witnesses:

R. N. DYER, CHAS. THURMAN.

